Selena Gomez;The Rolling Stones;Mavs Stay Alive

Selena Gomez,21,tops the video show this week with another hit from her solo album "Stars Dance"(2013).You can see how well she dances in "Slow Down."Her birthday is coming up on July 22 and she has just put one of her two California homes on the market.Her full name is Selena Marie Gomez.*
We continue The Rolling Stones retrospective.If you can't catch one of their upcoming shows this summer,I've got you covered with the next best thing.It's remarkable how many hits they've had over the years:countless.Their consistency is beyond belief.
In "Happy" you get to hear Keith Richards sing the lead,which he hardly ever does.He's quite a good singer,it turns out.That was the biggest concert of all time,with an estimated 1.5 million fans gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
You also get to see Ronnie Wood play the steel guitar,a country music instrument.*
"Bitch" is from the classic "Sticky Fingers" album released in 1971.The song was actually recorded in October 1970 and the concert was in Texas in 1972.You can see their lead guitarist of that era,Mick Taylor,standing to Mick Jagger's right-his right hand man,so to speak."Mick" is short for "Michael,"by the way.We can say that was the era of the two Micks,one of the high points of the band's life with a memorable sound.
There is also a brass section performing in this song.
"When you call my name
I salivate like a Pavlov's dog
When you lay me out
My heart starts beating like a big bass drum"
"It's a bitch
Sometimes I'm sexy
Move like a stud
Kicking the stall all night"*
Well,the Dallas Mavericks were kicking the stall in Dallas Friday night as they clipped the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 in the NBA Playoffs,evening the Western Conference series to 3-3.The deciding game of this round 1 series will be Sunday in San Antonio.Monta Ellis led the Mavs with 29 points,followed by Dirk Nowitzki with 22.Tony Parker scored 22 points for the Spurs.

Christmas Edition:Music and NBA Basketball

The music almost didn't get here tonight.There were more technical problems,but,with persistence,I was finally able to bring it to you.It was challenging,believe me.It's a marginal situation.The slightest defect somewhere along the line can wreck the posting.So you got an old classic,"Chestnut Mare,"and one a little less old,"Holiday."I think it's a good gift for everyone.It's great to hear the Byrds' narrative song,a song that really tells a story.It's a blast to see Madonna dance as well.*
The Golden State Warriors did not get a gift.They got a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking,losing to the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 Thursday night in Oakland.This dropped the Warriors to 14-13,and lifted the Spurs to 21-5.
Stephen Curry and David Lee were outstanding for the Warriors.It was Lee's tenth consecutive double-double game,and Curry made several remarkable shots,both close-in and outside of the paint;but they were hindered by repeated turnovers to the Spurs.You cannot win NBA games that way.*
We never give up,said the Spurs' Marco Belinelli.Everyone was good on defensive and offensive rebounds.It was really tough.This is the NBA,it's nothing easy.We just try to come from the bench and be very aggressive.*
Season's Greetings to all.Happy and Merry Christmas,dear readers.

Big GE Week,Knicks Cuffed

It was a big week for GE as the manufacturing titan reported a great Q4.GE had a big jump in orders and its first revenue increase in two years.It's a sign of rising capital expenditure and a recovering industrial base as companies purchase GE's broad range of big products.
The New York Knicks had a small Friday night in San Antonio as the Spurs dealt them a 101-92 loss at AT&T Center.The Spurs have the best record in the NBA at 37-6.Tony Parker shot 21 points with 13 assists for the victors on a pleasant Texas night.It was the Spurs' eighth straight win.For the Knicks,Danielo Gallinari shot 16 points,while Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and Raymond Felton 18,respectively.
The Mid-Atlantic region was partly cloudy and chilled into the teens or single digits Friday night,with Saturday night expected to fall likewise.
For the week,the Dow rose 84.46,while the S&P dropped 9.89 and the NASDAQ stumbled 65.76,or 2.4%.The S&P futures pointed up 3.50 Friday evening,and the 10 year bond futures yield rose as well.Next week,Caterpillar and American Express will report their earnings.
General Electric(GE),Caterpillar(CAT),American Express(AXP)

Nowitzki Almost Well;Earnings Season Starts Well

Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said he's close to coming back into the lineup-hopefully on the Mavs' current road trip.He missed his 9th straight game Friday because of a sprained knee.The Mavs lost to the San Antonio Spurs 101-89.Dallas owner billionaire Mark Cuban attended the game at San Antonio's at&t Center,but to no avail for his struggling team.
San Antonio has the best record in the NBA,at 34-6,and were led by Tony Parker's 18 points,while Dallas' Shawn Marion scored 14.Parker said we've been lucky with our health,but it's a little too early to talk about being a championship team.The Spurs have achieved 5 straight wins.
The east was achieving some mighty cold temperatures Friday night,as Harrisburg,Pennsylvania was dropping down to the teens Fahrenheit.A clipper system was to cross the Great Lakes Saturday afternoon,bringing lake effect snow showers to the area.
Wall Street notched multiyear highs this week,with the Dow up 1.0,the NASDAQ 1.9 and the S&P 1.7.Earnings season had launched on an uptrend for Alcoa,Intel and JP Morgan Chase.The S&P futures continued the optimism Friday evening with a substantial 8.1 of further gain as bond prices dropped.
Alcoa(AA),Intel(INTC),JP Morgan Chase(JPM)